Scribbling Women: Short Stories by 19th-Century American Women

by Elaine Showalter (Editor)

With sources as diverse as A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and Scream 2, Inventing Herself is an expansive and timely exploration of three centuries of feminist intellectuals, each of whom possesses a boundless determination to alter the world by boldly experiencing love, achievement, and fame on a grand scale. Focusing on paradigmatic figures ranging from Mary Wollstonecraft and Margaret Fuller to Germaine Greer and Susan Sontag, preeminent scholar Elaine Showalter uncovers common themes and patterns of women's lives across the centuries and discovers the feminist intellectual tradition they embodied. The author brilliantly illuminates the contributions of Eleanor Marx, Zora Neale Hurston, Simone de Beauvoir, Margaret Mead, and many more. Showalter, a highly regarded critic known for her provocative and strongly held opinions, has here established a compelling new Who's Who of women's thought. Certain to spark controversy, the omission of such feminist perennials as Gloria Steinem, Susan B. Anthony, Robin Morgan, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Virginia Woolf will surprise and shock the conventional wisdom.

Genres: Short Stories, Womens, 19th Century

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Elaine Showalter is an American literary critic, feminist, and writer on cultural and social issues. She is one of the founders of feminist literary criticism in United States academia, developing the concept and practice of gynocritics.

She is well known and respected in both academic and popular cultural fields. She has written and edited numerous books and articles focussed on a variety of subjects, from feminist literary criticism to fashion, sometimes sparking widespread controversy, especially with her work on illnesses. Showalter has been a television critic for People magazine and a commentator on BBC radio and television.

(source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked these stories, although the language was a bit archaic and dense. This book inspired me to read more by these 19th century American women writers.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasury of short stories! Wonderful to find represented old friends such as Kate Chopin, Willa Cather and Charlotte Perkins Gillman. Highly recommended

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-have for anyone that is interested in 19th century American writing. This has the heavy hitters like "Life in the Iron Mills," "New England Nun," and "Circumstance," but it also has some gems that I haven't heard of before -- most particularly the novella Behind a Mask, which is psychologically intriguing, even if I hated the ending. Also a must read are the two stories "Miss Grief" by Constance Fenimore Woolson and "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell. Glaspell later turned her short story into a play entitled Trifles, which is one of the leading early female-written plays.



This collection is cheap too -- I picked it up for about $25, which is a steal considering the amount of stories in here -- 450+ pages worth! Buyer beware, however ... the book is a bit cheap, and I noticed that my binding cracked early in my use of the book. I'm one to take extreme care of my books, so I was surprised. It's not falling apart though, so as long as you are careful with your things, this is a must-buy.

[Jenice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not finished with this book, I will keep working on it.
It is a collection of short stories by 19th century American women. Louisa May Alcott, Willa Cather, Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton to name just of few.

The name of the book comes from a rather catty remark made by Nathaniel Hawthorne who at the time was not enjoying the same commercial success as most of these authors. He said, 'America is now wholly given over to a d__d mob of scribbling women and I should have no chance of success while the public taste is occupied with their trash.'

Professional jealousy? I believe so because these stories are, in my opinion, not trash.

These women were strong willed, independent women who earned their own living in a time when few women dared to try. I admire them and their work.

[Vikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I didn't finish all of this book. Scribbling Women is one that I read some of the stories but will want to return to it and read more stories. They are short stories by 19th century American women. I really like these old fashioned, classic short stories. This is a great book. I would like to own it.
I can't read two novels in a row. So I have to read non-fiction or short stories in between my novels. This is a great one to go to.

[Mj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great collection of some of the overlooked writers of early America. Back when writing was a man's game, and Nathanial Hawthorne was frustrated by this "damned mob of scribbling women."

Like any collection of stories, some are amazing and some are forgettable, but I didn't find any that I hated. This is a must-read if you like the style of the 1800s.

[Amy Hearth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The short story was a more popular genre in the nineteenth century than it is today. This collection provides an opportunity to sample the shorter works of some of America's finest writers, such as Louisa May Alcott and Willa Cather, as well as their lesser-known contemporaries.

[Kristy Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories all written by women.

[Nine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nur "The Yellow Wallpaper" für ein Seminar gelesen.